sand

Betony Stachys or Betonica officinalis botanical illustration completed for FSC English Ecosystem Surveys i.d. chart

Sharp rush Juncus acutus with leaf tip and nutlet detail

Marram grass Ammophila arenaria with detail of flowering head, ligule and in-rolled leaf

Sand pansy Viola tricolor ssp curtisi showing insubstantial foliage and yellow and white flowers

Reindeer lichen Cladonia rangiformis showing spots of algae growing on the grey branches

Early Marsh Orchid Dactylorhiza incarnata ssp coccinea showing distinctive red flowers and stocky low habit

Portland spurge Euphorbia portlandica with flower fruit seed and leaf underside

Close up of one flower showing reflexed sides of labellum and red colour

With spikelet detail, showing how the upper leaf looks like a continuation of the stem

With stem detail showing swollen red bases of stem hairs

Lesser Hawkbit Leontodon saxatilis with details of pappas types on two different achenes

Dry specimen showing how incurled the moss becomes when not wet

Sand hill screwmoss Wet specimen showing green starry tips against bronze background

Sharp rush Juncus acutus with nutlet and inflorescence

Western eyebright Euphrasia tetraquetra with leaf & flower detail

Syntrichia ruraliformis ruraliformis fascicle and leaf with hyaline tip

Bog pimpernel Anagallis tenella showing sprawling habit

Showing seed, pale pink flowers, woolly blue leaves and a seed

Showing yellow and cream colouration and sprawling, tufted habit  

Alexanders Smyrnium olusatrum with Puccinia smyrnii rust on some leaves, and detail of one flower and one seed.

Bactrian camel Camelus bactrianus with a kneeling Dromedary Camelus dromedarius. Illustration from “30 Animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Ayree (BBC Books)

Stenocara Fog or Handstand beetle.  Beetle is shown in its typical 45 degree position, facing incoming wind and fog to collect water vapour on the bumps of its elytra. Illustration from “30 Animals that made us smarter” by Patrick Ayree (BBC Books).

Large landscape showing an idealised view of Bantham estate in Devon.  It explains the process of succession and stabilization in a sand dunes landscape.  Over 28 species of plant and 17 animals appear in this natural history illustration.  These include adders to sand wasps, Comma butterflies to linnets, and marram grass to Sea carrots. Species […]

Yellow horned-poppy Galucium flavum with seed pod